President Bola Tinubu on Thursday approved the appointment of the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, as his Special Adviser on Security.
THE WHISTLER had exclusively reported that President Tinubu had penciled Ribadu down for appointment as National Security Adviser out of three names considered for the position.
But the new development, according to presidential sources who spoke to THE WHISTLER on Thursday, indicates that Tinubu may have scrapped the office of the National Security Adviser and replaced it with that of Special Adviser on Security. The security adviser’s functions would, however, remain the same as the NSA’s.
The presidential source revealed that President Tinubu may have opted to name Ribadu as special security adviser, instead of NSA, to avoid hurting the nation’s military chiefs who may not consider a retired police officer as a competent superior.
The rivalry among security agencies in the country is well documented, especially the lack of love lost between the military and the police over roles in national security. The police force has always complained about the military’s incursion into its constitutional mandate of being in charge of internal security.
The development had led to claims that security funding was channeled more to the military to the detriment of the police force.
By appointing Ribadu as a security adviser, the presidential source said security chiefs will now report directly to the president instead of the NSA.
The decision to bypass the traditional appointment of an NSA, if unaltered, will confirm concerns about the silent rivalry between the police and the military.
Another presidential source echoed that the decision to do away with an NSA was due to Ribadu’s background in the police force which might lead to perceived bias in favour of the police among military personnel and that the sentiment likely influenced Tinubu’s choice to appoint him in a different capacity.
Ribadu is widely recognized for his remarkable track record as the chairman of the EFCC, where he spearheaded the fight against corruption during his tenure. His appointment as the Special Adviser on Security positions him as a key advisor to President Tinubu on matters pertaining to national security.
While his experience in law enforcement and the fight against financial crimes have earned him respect, questions may however arise regarding his expertise in handling broader security matters that extend beyond his previous role at the EFCC.
As Special Adviser on Security to the President, Ribadu will be tasked with coordinating efforts across various agencies to ensure the safety and stability of the nation.
President Tinubu’s decision to bypass the appointment of an NSA may signify his desire for a more direct and hands-on approach to national security matters.
THE WHISTLER further reports that by having the security chiefs report directly to him, Tinubu may be aiming to maintain a tight grip on security decision-making and ensure a seamless flow of information without potential obstacles arising from the rivalry between Ribadu and the military chiefs.
The Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti on Thursday said that his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu left a humongous debt burden of N191.24bn and an empty treasury when he handed over the affairs of the state to him on May 29.
Otti who won the Governorship election in Abia during the last general elections said this in reaction to claims that Ikpeazu handed over billions of naira to him.
The statement was signed by Ferdinand Ekeoma Special Adviser (Media and Publicity); Mr. Kazie Uko
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor; Mr. Mike Akpara, Special Adviser to the Governor on Finance and
Mrs. Njum Onyemenam, Accountant General of Abia State.
Setting the records straight, the Governor said in the statement that the sum of N77,927,939,042.82 was owed Banks in the country, N71,022,162,441.01 was owed as domestic debt while external debts liabilities was put at N42,289,206, 109.84.
Providing further breakdown of the indebtedness, the Abia State Governor explained in the statement that from the N77,927,939,042.82 owed banks, United Bank for Africa accounted for N8,012,830,371.44; Zenith Bank N21,557,168,761.71; Union Bank N597,637,399.55 and Central Bank of Nigeria N47,760,302,510.12.
For the domestic debt obligation, he said that Salaries and Subvention Arrears was put at N18,162,102,692.92; Pension Arrears N21,283,876,789.80; Gratuity Arrears N27,012,996,061.64; and Contractors Arrears N4,563,186,896.65.
The statement further stated that the Okezie Ikpeazu-led government did not leave any N24bn in the account of Abia state government as was falsely claimed.
It noted that the $200m and $50m the government claimed to have left for the new administration are loans they were pursuing which is yet to crystalize.
The statement reads in part, “The Okezie Ikpeazu-led government did not leave any N24bn in the account of Abia state government as they falsely claimed.
“The $200m and $50m they claimed they left for the new administration are loans they were pursuing which is yet to crystalize.
“Outside the humongous financial liabilities left behind by the Ikpeazu-led government, they also left physical liabilities in all our key institutions. For example, our University Teaching Hospital lost accreditation for the first time in history.
“Our only state Polytechnic also lost accreditation. The regulatory authorities predicated their action against these institutions on Non-payment of salaries, lack of Equipment and Lack of Infrastructure.
“Poor internal generation of revenue, with the little they generated frittered away in payment to consultants for no added value. They pay as much as 20 which is highly unethical.
“Doctors who have been on strike since February 2023 just called off their strike, and they emphatically stated that they based their decision on their conviction that Governor Otti would solve the problem that necessitated the strike action.
“Finally, the elementary question is; if ikpeazu had the billions he claimed to have left behind for the Otti led-government in April and May, why did he not pay workers and pensioners before leaving office, since Governor Otti just took over from him on the 29th of May 20237
“If Ikpeazu is trying to preempt anti-corruption agencies by making such provocative false claims, he should know that they work with facts and figures, therefore even if he runs into the APC to seek refuge as he is planning to do, these anti-corruption agencies would pursue and bring him to justice from there.”
‘2023 Election Not Satisfactory’ — Atiku’s Forensic Examiner Asks Court To Deduct Illegal Votes Declared By INEC Chairman
Admin…As INEC Chairman Subpoenaed Again Over National Voters Register
A statistician and forensic examiner, Samuel Oduntan, who was presented by the Peoples Democratic Party and its flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar, has urged the Presidential Election Petitions Court sitting in Abuja to deduct “irregular votes” from the 2023 presidential election results declared in favour of President Bola Tinubu by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Yakubu Mahmood, in the 2023 election.
Oduntan made the request during cross-examination by lawyers representing the Independent National Electoral Commission, President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress.
According to him, he studied the polling unit results from across the federation, alongside 6 team members and discovered that alleged irregular votes were entered across the states including where the PDP won.
Under cross-examination by Tinubu and Shettima’s lawyer, Wole Olanipekun SAN, he admitted however that he did not attach pictorial samples of any of the INEC forms he referred to in his report.
He explained that he did not have to attach them to his report because he was convinced the PDP lawyers would tender INEC electoral forms as exhibits to buttress his assessment of the polls.
“Did you take the votes of all the 18 political parties into consideration during your analysis?,” Olanipekun asked, to which the witness responded in the affirmative.
He was asked severally to tell the court if he was not satisfied with votes given to Atiku Abubakar because of the irregularities he discovered.
The witness maintained he was not satisfied with irregular votes entered across the states, adding “and that is why we seek a deduction.”
Under further cross-examination by Lateef Fagbemi SAN, Oduntan admitted he had been following and analysing INEC conduct of elections since 1999.
He said his inspection of the election results was in company of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) officials.
Oduntan noted that he did not conduct extraction of reports from BVAS machine because it had already been reconfigured by the electoral umpire.
The witness was subsequently discharged by the court.
Afterwards, PDP’s lead counsel, Chris Uche told the court that following a subpoena on the INEC Chairman to produce more electoral documents, few of the documents requested for have been accessed by them.
He then tendered as more evidence, Forms EC8D series (results for the 36 states), EC8DA(Final Declaration of results), CTC of accreditation data on BVAS machines in respect of Rivers State and for the entire federation, and EC9 Form (containing particulars of Tinubu).
The documents sought to be tendered were objected to by the respondents but the court admitted them as Atiku’s evidence.
Uche further notified the court of another subpoena against the INEC Chairman to produce the Voters Register used in the 2023 election.
The court subsequently adjourned hearing to Friday.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed its dissatisfaction with the submission of 18,000 blurred Incident Report (IReV) sheets by the Labour Party (LP), describing it as an ambush.
On Thursday, the Labour Party (LP) submitted 18,000 polling unit results that were blurred during the presidential election to the tribunal.
LP presidential candidate Peter Obi has challenged the election process that resulted in President Bola Tinubu's victory, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The defendants in the lawsuit include INEC, Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Reporting from the proceedings, it has been disclosed that Onyechi Ikpeazu, the legal representative for the petitioners, has submitted data analysis reports on the presidential election. These reports were presented through Eric Ofoedu, a professor of mathematics at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, who was also a witness for the LP.
Ikpeazu revealed that the documents included inquiries into IReV score sheets from Rivers and Benue states.
The petitioners have submitted 18,000 polling units with blurred results obtained from the IReV portal.
The admissibility of the documents was objected to by Abubakar Mahmoud, who serves as the lead counsel for INEC.
According to Mahmoud, the situation was akin to an ambush. He further stated that the LP had provided a copy of the witness' statement only a few hours prior to the start of the proceedings.
Admittedly, my team and I are facing a challenge and are unsure of the next steps to take. According to him, it is an ambush.
It was expected that the counsel would have presented the statement earlier, in accordance with the court's regulations and in the spirit of collaboration. The meal ought to have been delivered promptly to prevent this surprise attack.
Mahmood has made a plea to the court, requesting that the LP be compelled to allow the INEC legal team a 48-hour period to review the documents that have been submitted.
Despite objections from Wole Olanipakun, the counsel for Tinubu and Shettima, they ultimately agreed to hear the witness's statement and suggested a later time for cross-examination.
Arise News TV journalist Lumnie Edevbie was summoned as a witness for the LP and was presented as evidence by Patrick Ikweato, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who is part of the party's legal team.
During the trial, a witness presented a video statement from Yakubu Mahmood, the chairman of INEC, which was recorded at Chatham House in London on January 17. In the video, Mahmood expressed confidence in the reliability and efficiency of the bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS).
According to all respondents, they objected to the adoption of the statement of the witness and the viewing of the video.
The session was adjourned by the five-man panel, headed by Haruna Tsammani, until Thursday. This was done to allow for the cross-examination of the witness and further hearing of the petition.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Wale Edun, Nuhu Ribadu, and Dele Alake as his trusted special advisers.
Dele Alake has been appointed as a special adviser on special duties, communications, and strategy.
Nuhu Ribadu, who previously served as the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has been appointed as a special adviser on security. Additionally, Wale Edun has been named as a special adviser on monetary policies.
On Thursday, the State House's director of information, Abiodun Oladunjoye, issued a statement announcing their appointment.
In all, the President has designated a total of eight individuals to serve as special advisors.
In recent developments, Yau Darazo has been appointed as the special adviser on political and intergovernmental affairs, while Olu Verheijen has been named as the special adviser on energy.
In a recent development, the president has appointed Zachaeus Adedeji as a special adviser on revenue, and John Ugochukwu Uwajumogu as a special adviser on industry, trade, and investment.
Salma Ibrahim Anas has been appointed as a special adviser on health.
According to the president, the appointments will take effect immediately.
On June 6th, 2023, the Senate granted Tinubu's request to appoint 20 special advisers.
President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the National Economic Council (NEC), charging the Council to work with his administration to revive the economic fortunes of Nigerians.
Speaking at the inauguration of the NEC at the Council Chambers of the State House in Abuja, President Tinubu noted that the task of reviving the economy before the new administration is daunting but noted that there would be no excuses not to deliver, since they all begged and even danced before Nigerians to give them the job.
He charged the Council to get to work, pointing out that Nigerians are waiting for them, saying “it is very reassuring that our citizens are behind us, but they want reforms and they want them very quickly”.
The NEC, which is under the chairmanship of the Vice President, was inaugurated on Thursday, a week after Tinubu called for its convening to fast track the process of finding answers that will mitigate the effects of the petroleum subsidy.
The NEC meets monthly and has the mandate to “advise the President concerning the economic affairs of the Federation, and in particular on measures necessary for the coordination of the economic planning efforts or economic programmes of the various Governments of the Federation.”
Those in attendance when meeting commenced are Governors Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (Kwara); Ademola Adeleke (Osun); Yahaya Bello (Kogi); Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti); Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa); Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom); Peter Mbah (Enugu); Bassey Otu (Cross River); Caleb Muftwang (Plateau); Nasir Idris (Kebbi); Aliyu Radda (Katsina) and Hycinth Alia (Benue).
Others are Dauda Lawal (Zamfara); Dapo Abiodun (Ogun); Charles Soludo (Anambra); Mai Mala Buni (Yobe); Agbu Kefas (Taraba); Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta); Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers); Mohammed Bago (Niger) and Ahmad Aliyu (Sokoto).
Others are Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi); Uba Sani (Kaduna); Godwin Obaseki (Edo); Alex Otti (Abia); Douye Diri (Bayelsa); Abba Yusuf (Kano); Bala Mohammed (Bauchi); Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Borno Deputy Governor Umar Kadafur with Ondi Deputy Lucky Ayedatiwa.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume; Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila; the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari; Acting Accountant General of the Federation, Oluwatoyin Madein, Acting Governor of Central Bank, Folashodun Shonubi, Permanent Secretaries Budget and National Planning, Federal Capital Territory Administration, and State House are also there.
Popular social media commentator, Daniel Regha has reacted following the suspension of the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), AbdulRasheed Bawa, by President Bola Tinubu.
Taking to his Twitter handle Wednesday, Regha claimed Bawa’s suspension means “nothing”.
According to him, “If Tinubu & this administration are serious, they should sack the INEC chairman (Yakubu)”.
“Bawa (EFCC boss) was incompetent but let’s not pretend like Tinubu is suspending anyone to fight corruption or fix Nigeria. There’s ulterior motive,” he stated.
This is the second time in barely a week Tinubu will be suspending principal officers since he was sworn-in as Nigeria’s 16th President.
Recall Tinubu on Saturday, June 10, had suspended the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele following an ongoing investigation of his office and the planned reforms in the financial sector of the economy.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is thinking of extending the validity of old naira notes.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had redesigned the naira last year and set a deadline that was extended after outcry.
However, ruling in a suit filed by some aggrieved governors, the Supreme Court shifted the deadline to December 2023.
But in an Advisory Report released by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Policy Advisory Council chaired by Senator Tokunbo Abiru, a December 2024 deadline is said to be considered for the old naira notes.
Abiru was the Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Bank before he was elected into the Senate to represent Lagos East following the death of Senator Gbenga Oshinowo, his predecessor.
Also on the council is Dr Yemi Cardoso, a strong ally of the president, who played key role when Tinubu was governor of Lagos State.
The policy also outlined the planned achievements of the incumbent administration within 8 years, revealing Tinubu’s plan to seek a second term.
Tinubu currently has a 4-year mandate, having been elected on February 25, 2023.
Listed among the plans are doubling the economy to $1 trillion, achieving 7% average annual GDP rate; lifting 100 million people out of poverty; creating enabling environment to generate over 50 million jobs, among others.
Also listed in the advisory is the president’s position on abolishing of multiple exchange rate window, which was finally implemented by the CBN on Wednesday.
Daily Trust understands that the council will be inaugurated at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
Elder statesman and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has urged President Bola Tinubu to prioritise the provision of palliatives to mitigate challenges that have arisen from fuel subsidy removal.
Clark made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
NAN reports that Tinubu had, during his inaugural speech on May 29, announced the removal of fuel subsidy which pushed the pump price of fuel from N194 to over N500 with variations in states.
Clark who commended the president on the removal of subsidy said the government had done the right thing.
June 12: Your sacrifices over fuel subsidy removal not in vain, Tinubu assuages Nigerians
“They have done the right thing. After all, all the candidates before the 2023 general election had advocated and promised to remove fuel subsidy.
“Everybody regarded it as a scam; it does not exist. Where are these faceless people we are paying the oil subsidy to, how has it benefited the ordinary man in Nigeria?
“Remember in January 2012, the Jonathan-led administration attempted to remove it, but the very people and leaders who opposed it at that time have now turned round to say yes it must go,” said Clark.
He added that removing the fuel subsidy was a very bold step taken by President Tinubu.
“Some people believe that since Tinubu was talking about subsidy removal during his campaign and also in his manifesto, he should have strategised how to provide the palliative to cushion the effect,” he said.
Clark explained that government workers understood that fuel subsidy had never been in their favour, adding that spending trillions of naira on fuel subsidy is unacceptable.
According to him, if the money is spent on the country’s transportation, education and health sectors, life will be much better: “we will have a better Nigeria.
“Now that a committee has been set up, where all parties will be involved, they should work it out.”
President Bola Tinubu has directed that the l Director of Operations at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulkarim Chukkol immediately takes charge of the anti-graft agency following the indefinite suspension of the Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa.
A statement issued from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation says weighty allegations of abuse of office had been levelled against Bawa, who has been in office since February 24, 2021.
Chukkol is one of the young officers elevated following the appointment of Bawa over a year and half ago.
Chukkol earned a degree from the University of Maiduguri in 2000 and has attended various trainings such as FBI National Academy, Quantico Session 244 2011, University of Virginia Postgraduate Diploma in Criminal Justice Education 2011 and United States Telecommunications Training Institute Cybersecurity and Spectrum Monitoring 2010.
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The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has been ordered by the Federal High Court in Abuja to pay MEDIA Rights Agenda, MRA, N1 million in damages for improperly denying access to information, the organization stated yesterday.
The group in a statement, said the court also directed the apex bank to make available all the information it requested in its May 22, 2020, letter regarding the bank’s data protection policies and practices.
According to MRA, in the suit instituted against the CBN, CBN Governor and Attorney General of the Federation, Justice Donatus Uwaezuoke Okorowo held that the failure of the apex bank to disclose or make available to MRA the information it requested amounts to a violation of its right of access to information established and guaranteed by Sections 1(1) and 4 of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011 and also constituted a wrongful denial of access to information under section 7(5) of the Act.
The statement, signed by the Communications Officer, MRA, Idowu Adewale, read: “MRA filed the suit on June 15, 2020, through its lawyer, Mr. Darlington Onyekwere, challenging the CBN’s refusal to disclose the information it applied for and asked the court to compel the bank and its governor to make available the information it requested in its May 22, 2020.
”It also asked, among other things, for copies of all the CBN’s data protection policies issued in conformity with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation, NDPR, 2019; the name and contact details of the CBN’s Data Protection Officer, designated in accordance with the NDPR and its relevant data privacy instruments and data protection directives.
“MRA had also asked for details of all capacity building training or other capacity building activities undertaken for the Data Protection Officer and other CBN personnel involved in any form of data processing since the issuance of the NDPR, among others.
The Ministry of Education has said the federal government can no longer foot the bill for universities.
The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Andrew David Adejo, said this at a press briefing Wednesday in Abuja while clarifying the Students Loan Bill signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday.
“Introduction of tuition fee is not arising from the act; No! Whether we like it or not, the government can no longer foot the bill for universities. That is why we are doing Private Public Partnership (PPP),” he said.
Responding to a question on if the act would introduce tuition fees in public institutions, Adejo said, “The universities already have autonomy, the autonomy they are yet to have is financial autonomy. It is when they get it that they can answer that question and the government is working towards that.”
The Permanent Secretary said the federal government was working out modalities to begin the disbursement of student loans in September because the president had directed that the first recipients of the loan must be available for the 2023/2024 academic session.
He said an inter-ministerial committee would be inaugurated on Tuesday to fine-tune the process for students to get the loan within six weeks.
He explained that the Act addressed the purpose of making sure that persons that get the loan pay their tuition, saying, “Without meaning to say what the committee set up would do, we don’t want to make something that only public school students would benefit from.
“For now, private schools are paying tuition so you have to give somebody who is going to private school an opportunity to get and pay tuition.
“What you have been seeing is the bill that was presented and went through final reading at the House of Representatives and before Mr President signs a bill, he looks at it and sends it to relevant ministries and then decides if it is okay and if there are modifications that are necessary.
“Let us wait to see the Act and you will get the Act when it is transmitted to the Ministry of Justice to produce into a gazette,” he said.
Adejo further explained that there were other fees apart from tuition that could make indigent students need a loan.
“You can’t give someone a loan and say pay tuition without sustaining his school. No. You have to get accommodation, even if tuition fee in public universities is free, you still pay for your accommodation and the federal government would not give you loan that will not make sure you get in school, stay in school and graduate,” he added.
While noting that such scheme had failed in the past, he said the government wanted to learn from the past, adding, “We want the current act to learn from the mistake of the past where there were more defaulters than people that paid. In the past, it is like it is a government money come and take and go, free money but that is not going to be the case with this.”
He however, assured that the process would be depoliticised and that jobs would be created even though it cannot be created 100 per cent, adding that universities and polytechnics were being redirected to focus on innovation and produce job creators.
The suspension of EFCC Chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa did not come as a surprise to the organisation, according to Mr. Auwal Rafsanjani, the head of Transparency International in Nigeria.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, Rafsanjani—who is also the organization’s executive director—made this statement.
Recall that the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) released a statement on Wednesday, the day after President Bola Tinubu stated the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) had been suspended.
Bawa was put on administrative leave due to “weighty allegations of abuse of office” that were made against him.
”The suspension did not come to us by surprise, this is because of the way and manner the previous regimes or governments have always removed the EFCC leaders when they come into power.
”For this development, with regard to the removal of the EFCC chairman, we believe that already we knew that he was going to be removed because of so many political interests and changes that can happen,” TI said.
He said that Tinubu might not likely retain Bawa because of how he was appointed and his affiliation.
”He will want to get rid of anything that has to do with that.
”Also there are some political interests, some politicians associated with the government also have issues with the current suspended EFCC chairman and therefore they are likely not to be comfortable to have him there,” the group added.
Rafsanjani stated that ”the EFCC office has been unnecessarily made to be too much political.
”Therefore, it is making it difficult to do what ordinarily government agency is supposed to do.
”So, we need to look at it from that context and from that perspective, so I’m not surprised.”
Rafsanjani, however, said that ”what is important is that we must insist and demand that the anti-corruption and the good work of agencies, including EFCC must continue in the country.”
He also advised the government to look beyond politics in appointing the next chairman of EFCC.
“In appointing the next one, I think first and foremost, lets make that office to be a technical professional office,” he stated.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced plansto end the RT200 FX Programme and the Naira4Dollar scheme by the end of June 2023.
Ripples Nigeria reports that the RT200 FX Programme and the Naira4Dollar scheme were created to encourage the repatriation of non-oil foreign exchange proceeds into the official market.
The programmes were created by the suspended CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, but following the decision of the CBN on Thursday to free the forex market and allow buyers and sellers to negotiate rates without restriction from the apex bank, the RT200 FX Programme and the Naira4Dollar scheme became redundant.
“Cessation of R T200 Rebate Scheme and the Naira4Dollar Remittance Scheme, with effect from 30 June 2023,” CBN wrote in a circular on Wednesday.
Note that the CBN allowing the market to dictate forex rates has pushed the official market dollar rate to N664.04/$1 on Wednesday, from N471.67/$1, closing up on the black market rate of N760.3/$1.
This is expected to make the official market appealing to foreign exchange buyers again, luring them from the black market, considering the gap between both forex channels has dropped to N96.26 kobo, compared to the N288.63 gap on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the CBN has also directed the facilitation of foreign exchange by BTA/PTA and SMEs applicants through the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window, however, the applicants are expected to continue obtaining applications from the banks.
“Abolishment of segmentation. All segments are now collapsed into the Investors and Exporters (I&E) window. Applications for medicals, school fees, BTA/PTA, and SMEs would continue to be processed through deposit money banks,” CBN said in the statement.
[RippleNigeria]